COMMA Fund 2008-2011
Defra has commissioned ACRE to deliver three years of funding with finances drawn from the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund. The distribution of the grants programme, known as COMMA, is in 3 stages: 2008-2009, 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 and focuses on supporting community projects in settlements affected by the impacts of quarrying. The COMMA Fund has supported a wide range of projects which have directly improved the lives of people in their communities.
ACRE is pleased to announce that COMMA 2010-11 will open for applications on Monday 1st March 2010 and will remain open until Friday 14th May 2010. This is the final round in the 2008-11 delivery programme. Application forms and guidance notes will be posted on the ACRE website on the launch day. There will be no major changes from last year either to the guidelines or to the conditions for application. Applications may only be submitted for grants of between £3,000 and £20,000 which is the same as in previous rounds. Until the launch of the fund the 2009-10 guidelines will be available on the website for reference purposes.
To qualify, projects will need to be located in one of the 23 qualifying areas and must be supported by one of the 23 Rural Community Councils in whose areas the fund is applicable. Your Rural Community Council will assess projects against national criteria and will submit shortlisted projects to ACRE.
Five essential conditions must be satisfied for projects to be eligible for the COMMA fund:
- The community where the project is based is/has been affected by aggregates extraction or transportation of aggregates
- The proposed project is within 10 kilometres of an aggregates extraction site, either current or disused
- The proposed project must benefit the whole community or section of the community, not an individual
- The applicant must be a community organisation, a charity or a parish/town council
- All project works funded by COMMA grants in 2010/11 must be capable of completion by the end of March 2011.
In 2009-10 grants totalling £481,250 were awarded to 55 organisations, under the COMMA grants programme. Successful projects received grants of between £3,000 and £20,000 for a wide range of purposes; including a BMX/Skate facility, carbon footprint reduction of a community hall, improving access to a play area, provision of allotments and restoration of and improvements to a Motte and Bailey. For a full list of COMMA awards for 2009/10 please click here.
Please click the links below to view our promotional leaflet (2009-10) and for information on eligible areas and quarries. You may like to view the application guidelines 2009-10 for reference purposes only. (There will be some small changes to these guidelines in 2010-11).
Grants awarded for 2008/2009
47 organisations were awarded grants totalling £434,300 under the COMMA 2008/2009 grants programme. These projects will provide for essential community needs, allowing community groups to provide for more inclusive services within their local areas.
| Wiltshire Wood Recycling – awarded £10,000 towards a new gas-fuelled truck to collect un-wanted wood from building sites and industrial premises. Wiltshire Wood Recycling was set up to divert wood from landfill and skips, offer it for sale to the local community and provide volunteering and training opportunities for all members of the community. The company donates wood and wood products to schools and community groups. This wood is sorted, prepared then sold or made into useful items such as composters, raised flower or vegetable beds, tables for schools and chicken houses! |
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| YWCA West Kent Centre – awarded £5,574 for their after school activities programme. The project provided an opportunity for young women, in two age groups, to attend after school activities which provided creative activities around healthy lifestyles, sexual health, friendships and image and relationships. For the younger group, activities included teambuilding, trips, exploring personal strengths and friendships, designing/accessorising bags and t- shirts. The older group addressed issues such as relationships and emotions, abuse of drugs and alcohol and produced a DVD around sexual health to use as a peer mentoring tool for younger women. YWCA serves disadvantaged young women in England & Wales. |
| Watlington Parish Council – awarded £20,000 towards a new play area and recreation ground. The scheme incorporated a large new play area designed for babies to young people of all abilities, a new fitness trail aimed at older children and adults, a football kick-around area and new landscaping, mounds and pathways. The old play area was tired, little used and inadequate and those residents that could, travelled to other towns and villages to access better facilities. This new facility revitalises the area and provides excellent play and fitness facilities within the local community. |
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Wittersham Village Hall Management Committee – awarded £7,750 towards a new suspended ceiling in the main hall. The new ceiling, with acoustic tiling, new lighting and insulation will help the hall remain self supporting. The insulation will cut fuel costs and the new lighting will increase the usage of the hall, particularly in the winter months. |
| Little Thetford Sports & Social Club – awarded £11,400 towards a multi-use games area. This new sporting facility will enable children and adults within the community and surrounding areas, of all levels of ability, to participate in a variety of sports. The new all-weather floodlit games area includes football, netball and tennis and it is planned that local schools will use the facility at a concessionary rate. |
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Bubbenhall Parish Council – awarded £6,500 to restore their village green and spring. The newly restored public area is now a focal point for the village community and visitors to enjoy and the potable spring water is available again. |
| Gilberdyke and District Leisure Association – awarded £7,332 to improve safe public access to a ten acre recreational area. The access track provides a public right of way through fields to the scout hut, pavilion, playing/sports field and bowls green and is the only access to the site. The resurfaced track now provides a safe surface for all visitors, particularly pedestrians, cyclists, prams and those in wheelchairs. The work was done with the help of a dedicated team of volunteers.
 
 
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